University Centre of South Iceland and Drift EA in Akureyri have signed a collaboration agreement to launch Kveikjan Suðurland, a new initiative designed to strengthen innovation and development within established companies in South Iceland. The project brings together established businesses, start-ups and academia with the aim of supporting product development, increasing competitiveness and building valuable networks. Kveikjan Suðurland is one of SASS’s priority projects.
Drift EA was established in 2024 and has since built a strong innovation ecosystem in North Iceland, developing methods that connect businesses, entrepreneurs and academia. Through Kveikjan Suðurland, this experience and expertise will now be applied to support innovation and value creation among companies in South Iceland.
Kveikjan Suðurland is based on the Ignite Nordic methodology and focuses on solving real-world business challenges by harnessing the capabilities of entrepreneurs, innovation teams and the academic community.
The aim of the collaboration is to introduce the Ignite Nordic methodology in South Iceland in order to support innovation, renewal and value creation within the region’s business community. The project connects real challenges faced by established companies with solutions developed by entrepreneurs and innovation teams from Iceland, Norway and Sweden, as well as students from Icelandic academic institutions.
Participants receive tailored advice, access to a strong innovation ecosystem and opportunities to work on development projects that can have a direct impact on their business operations. A key element of the collaboration is also to strengthen dialogue and connections between companies in the region, entrepreneurs and students, matching business challenges with fresh ideas and new solutions.
“With Kveikjan Suðurland, we are opening up new opportunities for companies to continue developing, address challenges in new ways and build stronger connections with entrepreneurs and the knowledge community. It is particularly encouraging to see how positively companies in South Iceland have responded to the initiative,” says Ingveldur Sæmundsdóttir, Managing Director of the University Centre of South Iceland.
“South Iceland has a strong and dynamic business community, creating ideal conditions for innovation. Through Kveikjan Suðurland, we want to bring together companies, entrepreneurs and academia to solve real-world challenges and create new opportunities for growth and value creation. We look forward to seeing the initiative grow in collaboration with the University Centre of South Iceland and companies across the region,” says Sesselja Barðdal, Managing Director of Drift EA.
The importance of the project for South Iceland lies in creating a new collaborative platform where businesses, entrepreneurs and the knowledge community can work together to develop new solutions. The initiative also aligns closely with the priorities of the 2025–2029 Economic Development Strategy for the Lower Árnessýsla region, which places particular emphasis on strengthening innovation within established companies. Through this collaboration, the region can build greater innovation capacity, generate new collaborative projects and establish a stronger foundation for the future development of South Iceland’s business community.